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Focus on Malta

Facts and figures, life scientists in Malta, EMBO opportunities

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Vid Nukala
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Malta has been an EMBC Member State since 2016. Life scientists in Malta are eligible for all EMBO Programmes supporting life scientists in Europe and beyond.

 

Facts and figures

The Republic of Malta is a parliamentary democracy consisting of three islands in the Mediterranean Sea. A popular tourist destination, Malta is home to extensive archaeological sites including some of the oldest free standing temples in the world.1 There are four higher education institutions in Malta2, including the University of Malta which is the country’s oldest and largest.3 Around 42% of Maltese adults attain a tertiary education.4 In 2023, Malta recorded more than 2,100 researchers working in R&D.5 Gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) increased by 64% between 2019 and 2023 to reach 131 million Euro or 0.64% of Gross Domestic Product. The main sectors financing GERD in 2023 were business enterprise providing 58% and the higher education sector with 40%. 6

The European Patent Office granted 20 patents to residents of Malta in 2024.7

Life scientists in Malta have access to funding from Xjenza Malta 8,through Horizon Europe and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions9,as well as EMBO.

Population: 563,44310
R&D spending: 0.64% of GDP6
Researchers employed in R&D: 2,1255
People employed in R&D in the higher education sector: 11,6033
Patents: 207
Higher education institutions: 42
Horizon Europe funding:9
  • 201 organizations including 48 SMEs involved in Horizon Europe activities

  • 1 ERC principal investigators

  • 34 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions funded researchers
    		•

    All life scientists in Malta are eligible for the EMBO Programmes supporting life scientists in Europe and beyond.

    Find out about all EMBO funding schemes here.

    Click to expand

    All information as of May 2025.

    References

    1. Malta Tourism Authority
    2. European Commission
    3. University of Malta
    4. Eurostat – Population by educational attainment level
    5. Eurostat – Total researchers by sector of performance
    6. Eurostat – GERD by sector of performance 
    7. European Patent Office, Patent Index 2024
    8. Xjenza Malta
    9. European Commission, Horizon Europe country profile 
    10. National Statistic Office

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